Post: #1

http://www.amazon.com/Jawbreaker-Al-Qaed...0307351068

This is an intense red-blooded 'MURICA themed book written by Gary Berntsen - head of the CIA's direct operations division - on how the Taliban got their ass whopped during the initial campaign by the CIA, Northen Alliance, and American air power. Reading through the book, you'll see quickly how Bernsten is the real life Jack Bauer (early seasons before he went soft); no exagerration. The explicit directive from his boss Cofer Black was to kill (not capture) as many Taliban and Al-Qaeda as possible and bring back Bin-Laden's head in a box. Berntsen and 5 other CIA operatives were the first Americans into Afghanistan, just weeks after the 9/11 attacks bringing with them boxes of Gold, radios, weapons, food, and other supplies for the Northern Alliance. He then stayed and directed essentially the entire war and the hunt for Bin Laden for months until the Pentagon got its act together. Here are some clips of him in the frontline documentary The Dark Side.

http://youtu.be/pcrpMFCldEw

You won't find in this book any soliliquoys about the nature of war or the wisdom of US geopolitics, this book is basically straight action from beginning to end. Berntsen is hard right in his worldview and it clearly shows through in what he does. Here is him advocating the closure of Guantanemo Bay and the execution of its prisoners.

http://youtu.be/SEt3N1flfLU?t=1m25s

Its hard to imagine that once the war in Afghanistan is over and the politics die down, this book won't be made into a movie given how conventional and clear cut the initial campaign was.

Basically, if you are into special forces, the CIA, and covert ops type stuff you will lap up this book. Its essentially the perfect war the neocon's always wanted if only things hadn't started to slowly deteriorate after Tora Bora (where the book ends). I really enjoyed it because the guy was on the ground walking the walk for all the incredible shit that happened during that time period. Recommended.

Post: #2

Did they get into why they did not cross over into Pakistan to catch him? Why was Pakistan not on the other side waiting for him, or why did they not allow us to cross over? Every time I hear of Tora Bora, it makes me think that this 12 year war could have been prevented.

Post: #3

He is one of those people that are very dangerous physically and mentally he is almost like a pitbull. I'll be honest I wouldn't like to be enemy of him.

Post: #4

(04-22-2013 10:54 PM)HotLava Wrote:  Did they get into why they did not cross over into Pakistan to catch him? Why was Pakistan not on the other side waiting for him, or why did they not allow us to cross over? Every time I hear of Tora Bora, it makes me think that this 12 year war could have been prevented.

Yes he covers it quite extensively, basically blaming it on Rumsfeld.

Post: #5

I read Kill Bin Laden by a Delta officer that was also at Tora Bora. He claims he was 30 meters from where he thought Bin Laden was, but he didn't know how many bad guys were with him, so instead he called in air strikes and intelligence reported that Bin Laden took some shrapnel.

Apparently Bush gave the order not to put the Rangers at the border into Pakistan. Instead, he placed The Pakistani National Guard there, and Osama was able to slip through like a ghost, since we all know now that he had Pakistan in his back pocket all along.

Post: #6

(04-23-2013 12:11 AM)cycliss Wrote:  

(04-22-2013 10:54 PM)HotLava Wrote:  Did they get into why they did not cross over into Pakistan to catch him? Why was Pakistan not on the other side waiting for him, or why did they not allow us to cross over? Every time I hear of Tora Bora, it makes me think that this 12 year war could have been prevented.

Yes he covers it quite extensively, basically blaming it on Rumsfeld.

Or maybe b/c the dude was dead all along lolzzlolol

Post: #7

To bad America actively supports and funds Al-queda now. Many good men lost their lives over bulshit. I've read many accounts of top end CIA basically leading a goose chase with US Troops and lower level CIA operatives to keep special cells intact. Higher command would stop or re-route missions and then the targets would flee, nobody could see then (when on the ground) that they were all duplicit but it's so obvious now.

Bush had more to gain from keeping Bin Laden alive both professionally and personally.